Baisebeige Studios

I Ran Away to Chicago to Seek My Fortune

2012-01-17T14:56:00.013-05:00

In 1985, I sold clothing made from upcycled materials at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago with outstanding success, considering it was during the time when recycling garbage was unheard of. The dress on the left was a one-of-a-kind item made from a variety of yarns and strips of fabrics and could not be reproduced exactly. It was included in a show called Wearable Art '85 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. By the time the show opened, my rag knits were quite popular as unique items, so I decided to create a line of artwear that could be reproduced. The clothes on the right are from that line. I used 100% cotton fabrics and fibers that were dyed, painted and constructed by hand and they attracted a lot of attention and sales!

Transportation is frequently a problem with walking my green talk and not a point I am willing to compro

mise. Until the mid-1990s, I could take the Amtrak train to Chicago and return to Indianapolis on the same day, so doing business in Chicago was not a problem. When A

mtrak discontinued the daily service, business in Chicago became difficult. However, MegaBus service has changed all of that. In less

than two years, I have learned how to use social media effectively and open an Etsy shop, so I am naturally curious about what's going on in the Chicago marketplace. Yesterday, I acted on that curiosity and took Megabus to the city with the goal of browsing the Apparel Center at the Merchandise Mart for a

showroom.

My trip was efficient and comfortable and even greener than expected. The vehicles

are engineered for optimum fuel efficiency. During my next trip, I'll remember to take my netbook and adapter because each seat has an electrical outlet and there is WiFi! The bus schedules between Indianapolis to Chicago are convenient for short visits or a full day of business.

The Merchandise Mart is an impressive structure built by Marshall Field at the peak of the pandemonium of the Great Depression to make it easier for the makers of goods to reach

a wider market. It's two city blocks long and has an annex that was designed to be an apparel market. In the 1980's that was packed full of glam and glitz. Since that time Chicago has gone through many changes and so has the building. Chicago is the greenest city in America and the Merchandise Mart itself is the biggest LEED certified existing building in the whole world. That's good green karma!

So I went to work cooking color and researching the information online about the Merchandise Mart, its shows and its showrooms. It just seemed odd that there was just one floor exclusively apparel showrooms. My original plan was to take samples on the day of my trip but my gut told me to check out the situation first. I noticed when the building became LEED certified there was a Green StyleMax show. I couldn't find any subsequent sustainable fashion shows.

I was really hoping to find showrooms that deal exclusively with sustainable design businesses. However, even being America's greenest city is still small

on the grand scale of everything. I've only been able to find 16 retail stores in Chicago with 40% or more green merchandise. and, to be honest, I'd really rather do what I do in my own green way and express my aesthetic and point of view without being too overtly political about it. So I went with an open mind, making

the trip a fact-finding mission instead.

The architectural facelift of the old building was gorgeous and it's so good to know that green and history can work

well together! Not only can old be new again, it can be even better than it used to be. No doubt that green has moved far past its hippie image into the land of luxury!

There is no doubt either that green is a way of business life in this building. Every trash can in the hallways had a place to recycle paper, aluminum, plastic and glass. The ultimate badge of greenness was displayed prominently throughout the building. Here it is at the end of the bridge to the Apparel Center!

However, there is absolutely nothing that could have prepared me for what I found on the other side of that doorway. The 13th floor, essentially the only floor of the Apparel Center still devoted to apparel is a ghost town. It is at least 75% vacant. Showrooms still in business have red banners protruding from their doorways indicating occupancy.

*SIGH*

I did make some great contacts with the showroom tenants that have survived in this environment without going out of business or moving to less expensive locations. It's too bad that Marshall Field's original concept to make business more efficient didn't work very well in the building using energy more efficiently. There was, however, a real spirit of comradarie and cooperation between these wholesalers of fashion I've never seen before and much more openmindedness about the business of fashion in general.

I do have optimism that I will be able to expand into the Chicago and upper Midwest markets soon. It's going to take a somewhat different approach than what I had anticipated. But, change is good. Not only that. Change is necessary. Guess where the people who couldn't be more flexible and forward-thinking are. Gone.

*SMILE*

Little Dog

2011-10-25T09:37:00.007-04:00

I sincerely apologize to my readers for not posting for so long. Three days after my last post, a nothing but fur-and-bones homeless Little Dog approached me for help during the peak of the oppressive heat during the summer. I put many things that were important to me on hold while I helped her deal with her needs which was made increasingly confusing by people who made their own wants a priority. Dealing with homeless animals is an important part of urban green living and more complex than you can ever imagine.

My initial goal of getting the dog out of the yard and into a shelter was achieved. In a weird way. The neighbor who insisted the dog have a home when I told her I wanted to take her to a shelter eventually deceitfully lured the dog into her yard, stuffed her into a crate and dumped her at a shelter after I had found her home, which was the new plan, so I thought. Lucky for Little Dog, though, she has the perfect opportunity to become a "poster dog" capable of attracting donations to the shelter. In Little Dog's YouTube video, you can already see she is ready for her close up! I would not even be surprised to see a family in my own neighborhood adopt her!

I had an opportunity to learn a LOT from Little Dog. She was very timid and mistrustful of people so Elizabeth Wilhelm, Indianapolis Certified Dog Trainer, graciously helped me make a plan to capture the dog which would be the least stressful for this already overly stressed animal. Animal behavior has always interested me, particularly canine behavior. When I was in college. I was lucky to have been near to a compound studying the behavior of wolves in Battleground, IN. Learn more about this amazing place at wolfpark.org.

I also had the pleasure of talking with Beth Duman who is an author and Certified Dog Trainer at the end of this experience. Interestingly, Beth had been associated with Wolf Park from it's earliest days! The conversation did help me feel better and more at peace about the situation. It's a little bit of a struggle still, though, for me to let go of feelings of anger, betrayal and helplessness and replace them with bunches of positive warm fuzzies. Her book about dog training, The Evolution of Charlie Darwin: Partner With Your Dog For Positive Training is available for preview and purchase at the link below. Now all I need is the positive training book for humans .... See, I can still smile.

I know I will feel better and more positive about the circumstances as time passes. Our furry friends who have touched our lives even briefly leave all kinds of goodness with us. I know for certain, as evident in the photo at the top, Little Dog liked my home cooking. Being unwilling to eat factory food myself, I discovered online dog recipes for more healthful feed options. She's topping off a Sunday brunch of chicken-rice-carrot food with peanut butter cookies for canines. There is a definite wag in that tail... But if she had to choose, I'm certain the Bacon Biscuit Yummies were her favorite. ... You can find these recipes at dogtreatrecipes.org.

Knitting Vintage Yarns for Fall

2011-07-26T21:56:00.008-04:00

I recently acquired a large amount of vintage craft supplies including vintage hand knitting yarns. It was a trip down memory lane for me because I had just reached my stride as a hand knitter when these yarns were news on the market. So many people are purists about crafting materials, but I have become quite practical in my own knitting experience through the years. When synthetic thermoplastic textile fibers were introduced into the hand knitting market, they were warmly received by knitters. The companies which made them were mostly American owned with manufacturing right here in America. I'm not sure if anyone noticed that fact at the time, but we are certainly noticing the rarity of American knitting yarns now.

There was a lot to love about these yarns beginning that they are durable, resistant to insects and biological (mildew, molds, fungus, etc) pests and allergy ( and itchiness -) free. Crafters embraced the easy care of the items knitted from them starting with no blocking required in the finishing steps of the articles as well as the ability to machine wash and dry the items. These yarns will seriously last forever. Which may be a good thing or not. It's a good thing if we reuse the materials that already exist. It's not good if they find their way to the landfill.

I am a believer in 'practical green'. I think that although these vintage yarns are made from petrochemicals, their attributes make them 'greener' than some of the new ecofriendly fibers that are currently flooding the market many of which are already short-lived. it is also interesting to observe that many of these "green" modern yarns are produced in countries which have very poor human rights policies and practices. This makes them not at all "green" in my opinion.

About 15 years ago, I bought a quantity of modern synthetic craft store yarn and have been recycling it through the years into trend items in my wardrobe. One curious property of the "art of dress" is the wearer's desire to occasionally update style with new

items. By raveling and reknitting, I have been able to add new interest to my wardrobe in a 'zero waste' way. This sweater has had previous lives as an ankle length filet crochet vest and a ribbed pencil skirt. After wearing and washing for years the fiber still looked and behaved as if it were new. This is the recycling end-of-the -road for this yarn. I'm pretty sure after six years of wearing this jacket, it will be one of my favorites forever. I'm also pretty sure it will last as long!

The vintage yarns I acquired have remained

in pristine condition after being stored for many years. They also have some notable label quirkiness about them which I appreciate. When the synthetic yarns came on the market, manufacturers competed with each other trying to find the most exotic combinations possible. These yarns are predominately acrylic, but there are also polyester, polypropylene and olefin fibers in some of them. The labeling on the yarns was also interesting to see. In fact, United States textile fiber product labeling got so out-of-control and confusing, laws were updated to help consumers navigate the new world of fibers. Notice this label has Orlon and Dacron which are confusing trade names for forms of acrylic and polyester, which are generic fiber names now required by the law. It's interesting that the quality of "performance" is noted. I'm still wondering what that means! These yarns have lasted much longer than the store where the were purchased. Eventually, Michaels started acquiring Lee Wards in 1992 and had completely swallowed the chain by 1994.

I knitted a set of swatches to use when designing the clothing and accessories I plan to make for my Etsy shop and to determine how well they interchange for combining into single pieces. Swatches are also very portable when shopping for second hand items to upcycle when finishing the pieces. Most owners will probably NOT ravel the articles and reuse the yarn in the future so I'm going to be clever and design many pieces more artfully that will fit a range of sizes and work with a variety of styles. One of the principles of slow fashion is that style gradually evolves and lasts longer.

The physical nature of having no natural insect or biological enemies will naturally extend the life of the garments. They will also appeal to persons who choose now or may choose in the future to shun animal products. Easy care garments are often favorites in a person's wardrobe and NOT dry cleaning keeps harmful chemicals out of the environment. I hope the

new owners of these items will be as pleased with them as I am with my "button front" sweater pictured above. Consuming less during a person's lifetime - by depending on treasured items with long life - is greener in the long run.

It's Valentine's Day in July!

2011-07-05T19:42:00.006-04:00

Sometimes I have an idea in the back of my mind that has real desire attached to it and that idea will become powerful. Sooner or later the results will manifest and my current Baisebeige Studios project is exactly the result of one of those powerful ideas and the timing is exactly perfect. Immediately after my Quality Junk Sale, a friend called me and offered me the entire contents of a crafter's studio. This lady has been in a long-term health care facility for many years with Alzheimer's disease and she will spend the rest of her life there. Her house is being cleaned out for sale. My friend brought me NINE large boxes of vintage craft items including a LOT of yarn. There was a lot of RED yarn which thrilled me because the idea in the back of my mind waiting to become real was making red scarves for the Red Scarf Project!

I often knit for charity and when I read about the Red Scarf Project, I knew that I wanted to participate! The organization called Foster Care to Success provides care packages to students who have aged out of the foster care system and are now attending college. Anyone who has lived in a college dormitory will remember the tables full of flowers in the lobby and mailboxes stuffed with greetings. If the love of your life didn't come through with the goods, the family sure did! Not having the care packages at the peak of winter bleak can be a very lonely thing. I knew when I read about this project I wanted to make some of the scarves for the packages. It's an especially cool thing to do where I live because this house was once a very, very happy foster home about 40 years ago! Every kid who grew up in Woodruff Place during this time had great memories of playing here with the foster children. It seems that everyone had an age-appropriate favorite friend! My landlord went to high school with some of the kids. That's where he got the idea to buy the house someday. See, ideas are powerful things!

If you have the idea to participate in the Red Scarf Project, click the link below for more information! Even if you are not a hand knitter, you can participate by donating gift cards for the care packages! The timing is exactly right to start knitting now. You can see my progress on the first of five scarves, which is the maximum single person gift. Donations are accepted from September 1st through December 15th only. I'm taking advantage of the down time from moving back into my renovated room (and building out the BathroomFarm) by making an Irish Hiking Scarf from one of the patterns provided by the project. I will need to deviate from these because the yarn is mostly mixed dye lots which means the colors will vary a little but I can be creative in a tone-on-tone way and make this work! Yes, red is truly an inspiring and motivating color for passion!

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE RED SCARF PROJECT!

Just walking my talk...

2011-06-25T08:42:00.005-04:00

The main point I make about sustainable living is that it starts at home and radiates outward into a larger society. The more harmoniously I choose to meet my own needs, the more balanced and positive my life becomes! The reason my business is named Baisebeige Studios is because there are often times in my life when I branch out into other areas of creativity other than textiles and clothing. I believe this is part of sustainable living which involves using and developing many skills and using all of the resources available.

I, however, believe that I must keep editing those resources and have an annual yard sale with my neighborhood at the WOODRUFF PLACE FLEA MARKET which is unquestionably the best community FUNdraiser ever! Each year, on the first full weekend of June, 20,000 people come to our historic neighborhood to buy our junk and everyone who sells junk tithes 10% back to the neighborhood.

Junk is a form of potential energy and the opportunity to convert it to kinetic energy in the form of money is awesome. Keeping congruent with the idea of releasing things we don't need to get things we do want is inspiring! The neighborhood spends their portion on restoring the historic prettiness of the common areas. That's how we raise money for costly repairs to our beloved fountains such as the one you see here. Our picturesque town hall in the background has also benefited from past sales. There is always something needing attention in an old neighborhood and we are willing to do the work to make it work!

I notice that as my life stays in motion, I am constantly making junk. As I grow, things fall out of usefulness. As I think and act, things become needful! My junk sale this year helped fund my new project, the BathroomFarm. Ever since my neighborhood grocery store closed a few years ago, my life has been difficult. Since I choose to walk and ride the bus everywhere, it is difficult to obtain those five-a-day-the-color-way fresh fruits and vegetables for better health. So, I have decided to grow my own

in a year 'round vertical garden. In My. Bathroom.

So, here's the blank canvas in the form of an altered painted wall that is now becoming my BathroomFarm. This exercise in personal sustainability will reinforce my values and enhance all areas of my life. I am applying textile knowledge in this project by constructing fiber trellises and making some wall pockets for plants from upcycled materials such as canopies from discarded umbrellas.

I am completely optimistic that I'll be energized in my textile work as a result of doing this project by virtue of the increase in the general harmony in BEing. After all, this is completely about my view of personal sustainability. I am using my skills and resources to provide what I need!

Vintage Clothing and Textiles Are The Best Green Thing!

2011-05-22T02:58:00.003-04:00

Although I do feel especially fortunate to be living in the 21st century and to have the particular set of skills and values I have, I am still a bit hesitant about jumping on the sustainable textile bandwagon just yet. Like any aspect of "greening" lifestyle, clothing and textiles certainly have their points of compromise. I feel like I am reliving the earliest days of nuturing my passions when synthetic fabrics and fibers were flooding into the market in the late 1960's and early 1970's. I see the same problems emerging.

I'm like any human and prefer the avoidance of drama, and, for that reason, will focus my work for awhile on vintage and salvaged materials. I expect the things I make to last forever and I think there's a lot of competition for the "green" greenback right now. I'm going to wait until I see some proof that materials are better. I want assurance that textiles are produced with respect to human rights. I want to see standardization in labeling and identification of fibers.

I will reuse and recycle and repair for awhile. I will buy new materials with caution. I use a lot of cotton muslin fabric. It's the workhorse of my studio. I do have a bolt of organic muslin fabric and am glad the obscene amount of agricultural petrochemicals typical for cotton production was avoided. However, I am displeased that organic cotton production uses significantly more water. And, I do not rest easy that the fabric was made in Pakistan not known for positive human rights policies and practices.

Lucky for me, I live in the United States of America where there will never be a shortage of junk. A lot of the junk is textile in nature. So while industry is becoming saner, I will make use of what's already here. This is the happiest way for me to work because I will get great exercise stretching my creativity and imagination. On the downside, profit is in replicable product and that's not possible from random supply. Lucky for me I can measure true wealth and worth in terms other than dollars and cents!

Paper Beads

2011-04-25T18:21:00.010-04:00

During the 1990's, I taught myself how to make quilts. Also during the 1990's, I subscribed to a lot of quilting magazines. I discovered that the problem with having a lot of quilting magazines around the house was that I was spending too much time looking at pictures of other people's quilts and not spending enough time making my own quilts! I decided to sell the magazines at the neighborhood yard sale. I sold exactly one of them!

Not wanting to send the magazines to the landfill, I decided to cut the pictures of quilts out of the magazines and recycle the rest of the magazines at the neighborhood branch of the public library. While at the library, I checked out a book on paper jewelry making.

Making paper beads was a popular craft during the Great Depression and I thought a paper bead curtain between my bedroom and bathroom would be just fun to make.

So, I starting cutting the pictures of quilts into triangular and rectangular shapes. When rolled up, triangles make barrel shaped beads. If the ratio of the width of the base of the triangle to the height of the triangle is very small, the bead will be round. I also cut rectangular shapes

which make a cylindrical bead.

I inserted the cut shapes between the legs of a cotter pin and rolled the paper around the pin. It is wise to not roll the paper too tightly because that makes the bead difficult to remove from the pin. A spot of craft glue held it together. Then I painted a paper coating product over the surface of the bead to protect it.

I suspended the cotter pins on a vertical surface to let them dry. I used a cookie pillow for lace making held upright in a plate stand. I protected the surface with wax paper before inserting long pins each one holding a cotter pin with bead still attached. When they were dry, I slid the beads off of the pins. And repeated the process over and over, ad infinitum until I had thousands of beads.

I love the look of the beads made from pictures of quilts! The designs abstracted by rolling are interesting. You can see the pieces of the quilts and the patterns of the fabrics. You can even see some of the quilting lines! Although I am pleased with the beads, I decided not to make the beaded curtain.

So...I have thousands of beads and a lot of pictures of quilts. I may be making paper beads for awhile! Over and over ad infinitum!

The Dare of DIY... and Beyond

2011-04-20T20:01:00.011-04:00

The best part of being an Etsy seller is all of the resources available to us from Etsy itself. In fact, it can be a little overwhelming to absorb everything and still engage in the business of DIY. Creative people have absolutely no problem engaging in activities related to the creation of things even when there are great unknowns about the technical processes and uncertainties about the outcome of the project. When it comes to our businesses, however, we expect there to be rigid step by step instructions that exactly meet our needs. What a shift in attitude from our normal way of being.

Tara Gentile presented a workshop in the Etsy Labs on 04/19 called "The Dare of DIY". If you missed this presentation, you can watch the video and download the worksheet at this Etsy Success Workshop Link. This is a must-see event for Etsy sellers as well as any creative individual. Shortly after opening my Etsy shop, I discovered Tara Gentile and all of her resources which are perfectly tailored to creative people and their businesses. Please become familiar with and subscribe to both of her websites where you will find a wealth of information and resources to meet your needs. At taragentile.com you will become acquainted with this amazing woman and her uplifting and motivating philosophy of creative living to help passionate people produce and profit. There are many, many useful resources on this site.

Be sure to download the FREE Spacious Goals Guide and Workbook while you're there. This tool will help you set goals as big as you can think and, best of all, to not fear your goals. After watching 'The Dare of DIY" workshop you may already be examining greater possibilities for yourself and your creative business. Why not put those goals on paper... And ACT on them!

Don't worry about the ACT concept because Tara has plenty of guidance prepared for you in her new book, Making Motion. In just seven simple steps she will help you take your goal and set it into action along a path designed for creative people toward a destination of successful fulfillment. I had the opportunity to preview this book and I am so excited about it, that I am offering it for sale on my blog. Just click on the title above or the button in the sidebar to download this e-book for just $8! It will absolutely be the best investment you can make to accelerate your dreams.

You'll find plenty of support for your exhilarating journey toward your spacious goals at Tara's scoutiegirl.com site where passionate creatives connect, converse and commune! This is where I discovered how Tara Gentile helps you "turn your big ideas into a creative life-well-lived through a generous helping of practical philosophy, a few kicks in the pants, and a signed permission slip to reach your goals!" Her words, not mine. I couldn't be more in agreement with them, nor could I be more grateful for the resources and knowledge shared!

WINNING! I've "Got it in the Bag!"

2011-04-04T09:19:00.010-04:00

I have been taking my own bags to the store and everywhere else for approximately 30 years. I simply prefer having my own bags and simply prefer to not have a mess of disposable bags at home. It was a behavior that I developed during punk rock because I had noticed that people are very connected to luxury store bags. Funny. Even beyond the consumerism mentality of BEing your stuff, some people actually seemed to BE the bag the stuff came in!

Taking my own bag to the store has historically caused a LOT of problems. Being sensitive to the issues connected to retail loss prevention, I always surrendered my bag upon entering the store. However, it seemed sometimes that retailers were displeased that I didn't voluntarily advertise for them by displaying their mini-billboard bag logos out and about in public places. I began to accept the fact that having my own bag meant that I packed my purchases into that bag. Just because I have my own bag does not mean that I do not expect the same service as everyone else!

Good things are happening and environmental awareness has inspired a revolution of reusable bag-toting in America. The same stores that hassled me are trying to sell me their own brand of bags. Furthermore, entire communities have BANNED the use of disposable

bags. The recycling triangle is a lie. Most plastic bags, after their average 12 minute use end up in the landfills or littered in the environment. Now is the time to decide to use your own bag and to get used to it before the behavior is required.

I have an entire wardrobe of reusable bags, each one suitable exactly to meet my needs. This is my newest bag and already my favorite! I WON THIS in the Green Gifts Guide EcoMonday giveaway on twitter and couldn't be happier with it! The bag was designed by Aubrey Lenyard at Fashionable Notes who is a genius! Please browse this site for an amazing selection of beautiful and useful totes to stylishly assimilate into your everyday life!

I walk my green talk and walk everywhere or ride transit. I do limit myself to one trip per month to the grocery store in a passenger vehicle, however I do need to make numerous purchases of fresh foods in addition to that and carry them home on the bus. Look at the roominess of the Fashionable Notes market bag! This is my personal weight limit for a grocery trip and the bag still has plenty of room! It's study enough to handle all this weight and I like the Velcro closure on top to keep the items under control.

The bag is washable which is a BIG consideration because I an perpetually bringing sometimes messy food items home in totes. Another feature that is well designed is the length of the handles. They are long enough to comfortably fit over coat sleeves because my green lifestyle is an everyday occasion and not a fair-weather game. Plus the handles are long enough to shift the bag to rest against my back in case my purchase is heavy. Sometimes, I am lazy and wheel the cart around the store instead of carrying the basket which is useful in helping me gauge weight and volume of items.

My Eco Chic tote from Fashionable Notes is going to be my ideal companion for every outing requiring hands-free carrying which is seriously just about everything. Perhaps, I also develop attachments to my tote bags but it believe it's different from the collectors of store bags past. MY Bag is always about function, comfort and sustainable lifestyle. Now it can be more stylish, too! Watch for "EcoChic ME" at a farmer's market, public library or cultural event sometime soon!

About Clothing, Fire and Ethical Fashion....

2011-03-29T16:02:00.010-04:00

One hundred years have come and gone since the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City on March 25, 1911. Since then, we have been on a roller coaster ride of changes in the industry of clothing manufacture and have arrived at a point actually worse than where we started. Because the industry has shown no interest in evolving itself in a positive way and unions have transformed from apolitical entities into political powers feeding only the egos of their bosses, the mechanism for change lies presently within the hands of the consumer.

Fashion consumers are an interesting group. They are willing to starve themselves to ill-health and even death or self-destruct financially with insurmountable consumer debt. Curiously, as a majority, they drive a price-driven market fueling sweatshops and the institution of slavery. Misery must beget misery and, perhaps, this is an example. With society's increasing interest in all things "green", this is the perfect time to evaluate our thoughts about ourselves and our relationships to other people as we strive to save the planet. That is exactly why I always describe my work as both friendly to the planet and to humanity.

Knitting girl is the "face" of American textile workers at the turn of the 20th century. The majority of the laborers were young, immigrant females with little or no education and worked

long days in dangerous conditions for less than 25 cents/hour. Most of the 146 fatalities in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire were teenagers and women not unlike this girl.

Labor unions were becoming powerful in the textile industry and it is interesting to know that there was a failed attempt to unionize Triangle shortly before the fire. One of their biggest labor/management disputes was about fire safety. They wanted the fire escape door unlocked and the exterior fire escape repaired.

The fourth largest industrial accident in American history not only accelerated the causes of the labor unions but also inspired all levels of government to focus on labor and

occupational safety lawmaking. The result is that American workplaces are among the safest and fairest in the world. There is one problem with this utopia for workers, though. The manufacturing has moved out of this country to countries with less regard in the 21st century for their laborers than the greedy factory owners had for them in the 20th century.

This is the "face" of the 21st century international textile worker. Separated by a century of time and the distance across the international dateline, it is essentially the same face as knitting girl. Because we are growing in cultural and social maturity throughout the world, we have the opportunity to change this face. We need to decide as a group that whatever we want for ourselves, we want for everyone else.

I named my business after a French slang term which I explain in the blog header and I want to challenge the 'baisebeige' consumer, the consumer who thinks he or she is truly all that, to consider adopting alternate ways of acquiring clothing. Please consider buying clothing from only fair trade workshops in countries with positive human rights policies and practices, buying vintage or modern previously owned clothing, buying handmade clothing, or making clothing yourself. As a result, your style will shine and you will truly be beautiful beyond imagination!

About Competition...

2011-02-01T15:14:00.004-05:00

I have a personal moratorium on competition. Competition is a limiting belief and is an affirmation of scarcity in our universe. We are too focused on winning and losing and being 'better than' those who are 'less than' which is wrong thinking. There is plenty for everyone. I tweeted exactly that in July and that tweet was cached in a live twitter feed in England about the season premier of Project Runway. I enjoyed that!

I entered a little competition last Friday not because I have changed my thinking at all, but because something I have done for years is relevant to this particular contest. The Rit Dye Company sponsored an 'Upcycling With Rit' contest where unusable things are given new usefulness using Rit Dye. I have been very loyal to Rit since I started making rag knits in 1982 because their products are easy to use and safe to handle in my kitchen. I can create appropriate fabrics from almost nothing and the company was very helpful and sold me some colors I was lacking for an intricate dyeing project for dance costumes in 1983. Their factory is located in Indianapolis and I am extremely loyal in supporting my local economy! Rit Dye is a brand that has been so important to fueling my fire for many years that I am proud to show my support for this product and possibly inspire others to think beyond conventional materials and blaze new trails!

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY CONTEST ENTRY!

This entry includes a tutorial on how to make this sweater. I will be including additional tutorials about designing and constructing with rags soon. This contest was a great first step on getting this part of the blog started and also helps me confront the issue of a different kind of competition - the business one. Again, I believe there is plenty for everyone.

On the surface, it doesn't seem wise to give my secrets away. It, however, makes perfect sense to me. I do not believe that you actually own any thing. I also know that the things I make fall into the category of objects resistent to commodification. This is not something that can be reasonably produced in a factory exactly like this. Things that will evolve from this sharing will make my product more desirable because it is in fact infused with the peculiarities of the maker. This was a basic premise of the Situationist International Movement and this link connects to an article connecting Situationist International and Punk.
The Consul is a particularly good glimpse into the life of S.I. founding member Ralph Rumney. I also recommend reading punk productions that explains the evolution and influences of punk with discussion about Situationist International. Both books are available at Amazon.com and I have included links below for your shopping convenience.

I have a regular Baisebeige Studios Amazon store which I am cloning and restocking with merchandise relevant to blog posts. The first store with mask - making materials can be accessed through a link in
'Happy Halloween Part I'. The current store is in the sidebar of the blog and contains tools and materials for DIY Rag Knits. Of course there's plenty of Rit Dye there. I also have specialty tools such as very large diameter knitting needles and ecofriendly materials to substitute in case you are lacking garbage fabric and junk yarns to upcycle. I think it's important to maintain the earth - friendly spirit of these articles. From my own Amazon shop I was able to obtain the 'holy grail' of rag knitting tool! I absolutely love these bamboo size 35 circular knitting needles, shown below. It is also possible to enter all of Amazon.com from my shop and do your 'one stop shopping'. At the top of the menu on the left side of the page, click on 'Powered by Amazon.com' and you will recognize everything!

Happy Halloween Part Three

2010-10-31T11:51:00.010-04:00

The grand finale of the Halloween merriment at Baisebeige Studios is the Bag Lady Bus Tour. This is the second oldest AIDS fundraising charity in the United States and has raised more than $1 Million dollars. This was the 30th anniversary of the event. Click on the link below to see Coby Palmer, creator of the Indy Pride Bag Ladies, recollect about the event.

COBY PALMER ON THE INDY PRIDE BAG LADIES

Coby Palmer is my esteemed client Miss Blossom

who is known on the bus and throughout the entire city as Queen Mother Blossom. You know she had to wear her crown with this year's gown. In honor of the Bag Ladies on the Half Shell 30th anniversary, she chose to wear a blend of creamy whites and plenty of pearls.

This gown was made from upcycling two dresses with additional fabrics added. One dress was a dress so old that it would be considered vintage. The only salvageable part was the section of the skirt covered in fringe and beaded corded lace. The center section of the vintage lace was in good condition and could be removed from the old dress bodice intact. A new dress bodice was spliced onto the reused skirt with overskirt attached.

The overskirt is two layers of identical shape but different volumes of glitter dotted tulle and chiffon. The tulle is gathered into the seam and the chiffon is pleated and gathered into the seam. The skirts were attached to the bodice with the consideration of the overall visual effect dictated by the vertical placement of the original lace. Luckily the lace was almost exactly long enough to extend up to the new neckline. We had some pretty vintage bead fringe on a satin ribbon that perfectly covered the gap. Judging from the overall appearance of the garment, assorted sizes of vintage pearl beads were added by hand to the bodice.

There was a little trickiness to the splice because the skirt was about six sizes smaller than the new bodice. The size difference was corrected by pleats and gathers on the bodice and enlarging the skirt with a gusset at the center back. The zipper already attached to the bodice was reused and extended down into the skirt. The overskirt system has an opening concealed by pleating at the center back. I was able to avoid putting a seam down the center back of the train.

Little bits of elastic helped finagle the dress splendidly together.

The first stop of the Indy Pride Bag Lady Bus Tour is Monument Circle, the heart of Indianapolis, for a photo opportun

ity on the steps of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. It was exciting to see three large tour coaches driving onto the Circle. I can remember the very old days when there was one chartered city bus with the destination sign reading BAG LADIES!

Just like the old days, the interior lights are on so the big hair and sparkling jewels can be seen by on-lookers. These girls like to make a spectacle of themselves!

Here's what $1 MILLION dollars of FUN raising looks like and the party has just begun. Queen Mother Blossom looks just stunning in her gown front and center where she likes it best. That's fine with me because there's nothing I love better than a great idea that makes tons of money and is tons of fun to do. It's also very cool to see Blossom style inspiring the younger Bag Ladies. They have all come a very long way from their shopping bags stuffed with thrift shop dresses. We all dream of a day when AIDS is curable and the Bag Ladies will retire from service but we praise and bless them for being here now.

Here is another view of the dress. I am just al

ways so relieved when the ones that have to fit properly do fit properly. It was also good to see that the actual three dimensional placement of everything was as good as it was in theory. While I was taking these photographs, someone in the crowd was just gushing positive comments about the dress. I couldn't resist and had to say, "I MADE that dress." I got an unexpected hug from a stranger and a sense that one of the attractions of the event IS the wild costumes. This supports my theory that when you know the contents of your psyche and express that through behaviors including dress, you become a more radiant and powerful version of whom you are completely!

THIS STORY HAS A POST SCRIPT!

Queen Mother Blossom was recently spotted at a high society party in Indianapolis and she was wearing this lovely dress! This picture was in the Indianapolis Star Talk of Our Town society news column on (Queen) Mother's Day 5/8/2011! Her loyal dressmaker is thrilled!

Happy Halloween Part Two

2010-10-24T18:52:00.002-04:00

Getting my Etsy shop open and getting a clue about marketing an online retail store were the first tasks of the season. I chose to start with my decorated masks because they are familiar and because they connect with the season. I tested my system of connecting the merchandise with a blog post with additional information about the merchandise, created an online source of materials in an Amazon.com store for the convenience of blog readers wanting to try making decorated masks and actually transacted an Etsy sale! I learned how to promote both my product and my content. I even had the unexpected opportunities of being included in treasuries happen.

I feel confident to put my shop on autopilot for awhile and shift my attention back to the sewing room for the annual ritual of costume making. In 1985, Coby Palmer, Indianapolis floral designer, asked me to make his Halloween costume and I do remember saying, "yes" but do not recall saying "until death do we part!" In 1980, Coby founded the second oldest HIV/AIDS fundraising charity in America, Indy Pride Bag Ladies, which was all of the assistance in our state at the time. In the late 1980's the Damien Center opened to provide programs and services designed to empower persons to overcome the challenges encountered when living with HIV/AIDS, so they can remain independent and productive. The two organizations partner to raise funds in October and a new event called, The Grand Masquerade was launched. This image is from, 1988, the first year of this event. This is where you meet my client, Miss Blossom!

Miss Blossom is a true product of Coby's psyche. My client is a flashy, red-haired sassy Southern belle of a babe with definite ideas about dress. First and foremost, she HAS to have the biggest dress at the party! It's a big plus for me that she knows her way around a fabric store. The truly fascinating aspect of her wardrobe is these clothes are upcycled from vintage clothing. This dress was built out from a shift which became the lining of this costume.

The party theme this year was The Sorcerer's Spell and she wanted to be a pink witch. We upcycled a long black dress and maroon cape for the occasion. It looks like she and her girlfriend are having a grand time! But, the party's not over! Next weekend, the Bag Ladies have a very unique fundraising event and you'll get the "low down on that big gown" after that party's over. She has to make an entrance with the element of surprise and, well, I have sewing to do!

Etsy Networking

2010-10-16T00:56:00.007-04:00

[AUTHORS NOTE: Instructions on to make decorated masks and a link to supplies you may need are found in my earlier post Happy Halloween Part I below!]

I made my first Etsy sale yesterday and I can officially say that my dream of having an Internet retail business has become quite real. I committed to this many months ago when I registered myself as an Etsy seller and bought the proper licenses to do business. I am, however, not a naive person who believes that you just put stuff for sale somewhere on the Internet and magically wake up wealthy!

I spent a lot of time studying models of Internet businesses created by computer programs and made my own real business based on that. I have an Etsy shop and I am able to drive business into the shop by my social networks and blog. I also have monetized my blog and my Twitter account for secondary income. I also studied Etsy marketing in specific. Today, I tested this theory with very favorable results!

I relisted my Etsy merchandise which is a powerful marketing tactic. This keeps my merchandise nearer to the top of Etsy searches and therefore more likely to be viewed and purchased. The first things I put in my Etsy shop are masks and a collar which I categorized as fantasy merchandise. Because Halloween is rapidly approaching, there is an increased demand for these items.

Shortly after being listed, I received notification that the mask above had been included in an Etsy treasury called "Undiscovered Beauties!" What a lovely title! The treasury had been created by another new Etsy seller, laceratedpixie, to help other new Etsy sellers get a first sale. I couldn't let her down and this is great content! I posted it in all of my social networks and was in the process of making new posts after a few hours lapsed when I discovered the post in Twitter had been retweeted! I was in the process of writing a thank you tweet when another tweet proclaimed the piece had sold! Wow! This was exactly how I envisioned my marketing would work.

I am very grateful for laceratedpixie independently executing an idea to help other sellers. This is an ideal way to do business. I believe there is enough for all of us at Etsy and we will gain so much more by cooperating than by competing. Apparently many others share that vision and the Everything Etsy Blog has started a new social network called Etsypreneur. It is an experiment and already positive results are showing as we support each other. As each individual shop grows to be the best version of itself it can be, the whole organization will radiate an increasingly positive image. I am looking forward to a wonderful and long relationship with Etsy!

This story has a post script! The new owner of the mask sent me a lovely thank you message with a big surprise! She had posted the image on Indiana's biggest environmental website, A Greener Indiana!

A Brief History of Rag Knits

2010-09-19T20:25:00.002-04:00

In my first post I said that the history of textiles is the history of people. Similarly, a person's history can be entangled in the webs we weave, or, in this case knit. I started knitting as a small child when I became fascinated by seeing other people knitting in public places. I spent some birthday money at age three on a child's knitting craft kit. Until that point, I had thought of myself as being the same as other children. All of a sudden I realized that I was a member of a minority of left-handed children and all of a sudden I had some problems I never knew I had!

I had learned to make things up to that point by observation and observation was not serving me well at all here. I had pictures to observe that were created for the benefit of right-handed persons. So, I had to seek assistance from others and others weren't very helpful because they also were right-handed. Curiously, I had spontaneously developed reading and simple mathematics skills so I continued my search at the public library. They had a fine collection of knitting resources all of which were written for right-handed persons. I did persevere and by complete accident, I discovered that by observing illustrations in a mirror I could finally make sense of the process.

I noticed knitting everywhere and it had truly become a passion. I was however continuously challenged by any new knitting-related activity so between the mirror and trial-and-error I made knitting work. In the third-grade, I invented a crochet fabric that resembled knitted fabric and designed produced a tam complete with a pompom for sale to friends.

Many years later, I chose textile and clothing design as a career and, of course, knitting would play a significant role. In the 1980's the choices for knitting yarns had started to somewhat bore me. In college, I learned that a rule of thumb definition for a textile fiber was something that was at least 1000 times longer than its width and could bend back on itself without breaking. I started to play with that idea. I had also been haunted by the image of Anne Frank unravelling knitted things to make new things. Somehow, The idea of creating knitting fiber from used fabrics evolved. The sweater above left is one of my first rag knitted garments made from strips of a parachute. It was shown at a fashion show produced by a punk rock clothing store and many of the punk rock clothing store models refused wear it in the show because of "too weird" reasons.

The punk rock clothing store hired me so I decided to flunk out of Purdue University with a B+ average and move in with a band called the Zero Boys for a few weeks until I got more settled in Indianapolis. In less than two years, we truly advanced from being the people to ridicule to being the people who were becoming cultural role models. This photograph is from a fashion show that was produced by the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library for a special program they sponsored to connect fashion and music in late 1983. This rag sweater was made entirely from my discarded fitting muslins from one-of-a-kind clothing sewn for customers.

Soon after this show, my work was unanimously accepted by the jury for an upcoming show, Wearable Art '85 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. The burgundy and black dress was one of the pieces shown at the museum and was made entirely from upcycled scraps from my studio. I was already toying with the idea of a zero waste clothing company even before anyone ever said those words. I guess you have to live with textiles for awhile to really understand the mess they make. Also, if you have become that cozy with textiles, you probably love them all the way down to their tiniest pieces. The clothes on the right of this photograph were from a line of clothing I made and marketed in Midwest also in 1985. I think, now, that it was truly miraculous that I did as well as I did at time. In 1985, recycling garbage was unheard of. Wearing clothing made of recycled materials was not done!

So, I am truly not apologetic about making some noise about what I love to do and I am prepared for anything that might happen as a result. This artist noticed my sweaters and commissioned this dress as a result. This piece was a deviation from what I had usually done because it is all new fiber and fabric. I knitted it in the round starting with irregular shapes very much like the first sweater in this story. The only seams are shoulder seams. This 12" dance single was on the Billboard charts during the summer of 1986.

I am looking forward to beginning again with this project because this is a point in time to embrace upcycled clothing and accessories. There is a larger audience receptive to the idea of wearing clothes made from these techniques and to reuse of materials in general. Plus, new textile fiber products made with friendliness to the environment and to humanity are emerging constantly. I can't wait to upcycle those scraps in my 21st century zero waste studio.

Happy Halloween Part One

2010-08-24T18:07:00.005-04:00

Halloween is the ideal time of the year to express yourself through dress especially if you make elements of the costume yourself. I have always enjoyed designing and making crafts for this holiday. Grasping the opportunity for self-expression is both healthy and fun.

I have been making Halloween items to sell for more than 25 years. It is an ideal way for me to use my really awesome lifetime collection of quality junk. I have the habit of collecting unusual materials and objects for clothing and accessory design. Most of the oddities that end up in my studio are salvaged and discarded items. Because they appear in small and unreplentishable quantities, they are ideal for using in one-of-a-kind Halloween pieces. I have rescued these materials from the ultimate destination of the landfill so I certainly intend to upcycle them into something functional!

These decorated masks were some of my earliest creations sold during the 1980's. Usually, I cover the mask with lace or an interesting knit fabric. This reduces the "cheesiness" of a bare plastic mask. Unfortunately, most masks are made of plastic. If you can find a lame or satin mask backed with buckram, you are truly lucky and you can skip the lace layer. The top mask is one of the nicer vintage ones so I could sew decorations directly onto the mask. Remove the elastic or ribbons before decorating the mask.

Some tips to remember when covering the mask include:

Cut the lace fabric a little bit larger than the mask and in approximately the same shape as the mask.
Spread a line of glue around the entire mask. Use something like a contact cement which will adhere to plastic and most fabrics.
Fold the lace over the mask, working back and forth alternating between opposite sides. Do not stretch the fabric too tightly.
Do the eye openings last. Cut a slit the length of the eye opening, apply glue on the back of the mask and fold the fabric over to the wrong side of the mask.

When the mask has dried completely, you can decorate to surface with objects from your own collection of awesome junk. Any small, light weight object is good for this. I have used beads, sequins, glitter, ribbon and cord, seashells, buttons, feathers, plastic and metal trinkets and seeds. If the edges of the mask and the eye openings are less than perfect, camouflage those areas first. Glitter and sequins are good choices for this. When attaching items to a mask, I use a white glue that dries clear. You can be liberal with applying this kind of glue because it will be invisible when dry. Attach the elastic or ribbon and you're done.

KEEP IN MIND THAT IT WILL TAKE SEVERAL DAYS FOR THE MASK TO DRY!

ARE YOU LACKING SOME NEEDFUL MASK-MAKING SUPPLIES? For your convenience, I have created a mail order catalog of supplies available at amazon.com and by clicking BELOW on "buy supplies now" you will be connected directly to this source. The amazon.com logo on the catalog pages will connect you directly to everything amazon to continue your shopping.

BUY SUPPLIES NOW!

OVERWHELMED? Here is a link to my Etsy shop section with handmade masks! Click on Baisebeige on Etsy to shop now!

BAISEBEIGE ON ETSY

WELCOME AND PLEASE BE PATIENT ...

2010-07-23T15:38:00.001-04:00

I am so glad you've dropped by in the beginning of this venture and I hope you will visit often. Textiles are my life - long passion and I intend to be engaged with designing and crafting them as long as I live. I think my fascination with them is connected with my love for people and I realized as a small child that textiles are the story of people.

Personally, I think the story has saddened in our times for a variety of reasons. The manufacture of textile fiber products is brutal on the environment. Mother earth is ravaged for fossil carbons, coal and petroleum, to make synthetic fibers such as nylon, polyester and acrylic. Furthermore, natural fibers such as cotton and wool have negative effects on the environment. Cotton is only about 1% of the world's agricultural yield yet requires 10% of the total harmful agricultural chemicals in use each year. Overgrazing by sheep denudes the landscape causing mudslides.

Textile fiber product manufacture is brutal to people. It is an industry where slavery and child labor are common. In case you were wondering why so few of your clothes are made in America, this is why.

The materials I use for my own designs are made with conscious choices. There are better options evolving everyday. I will educate you about these materials and this will be an on-going feature of my website.

I also will be discussing various aspects of dress and style you may not have before considered. I think it's sad that dress has homogenized into nothingness in our times. I will challenge everyone to consider making changes in their personal style in order to bring the persona into alignment with the psyche. The results will be astounding.

I do not believe the fashion industry can perpetuate much longer in the direction it has been going in the last 50 years so this blog will not be about fashion as we have come to think of it. I want to see fashion return to the prevailing style of the time period and I want to see style once again reflective of the wearer's lifestyle and values. We are living in the age of infinite possibility in a world accessible to all.

My own design point of view expresses this with what I call pan ethnic style. My shapes transcend cultural boundaries. I experiment with surface decoration inspired by traditional crafts fading into the world's memory. Since I believe in the oneness of all people, I want to perpetuate my history by evolving it in to our modern times.

I believe the world of fashion should be a world of inclusion and not exclusion as it now is. For this reason, I will be giving tutorials on how to make some styles yourself. I will also sell some of my original fabrics and fibers. I also do not believe in the imposition of the designer's ego on the consumer so I will connect you to sources of basic ethical clothing for your wardrobe-building pleasure.

I anticipate this site will be completely operational by November! Please visit frequently before then and watch it take shape. My Etsy store will open soon. Everything is happening quickly now and I am happy! Happy to be of service to you.